I Just Want to Share the Little Things with You

A story about a sharp tongue before falling in love, followed by a whole lot of face-slapping once love strikes. (This is an episodic story, with one or two chapters making up each relatively self-contained plotline.)

Let's talk about their first impressions of each other.

Huo Wentao: She was an immature little girl who came in for her cousin to turn down a blind date.

Sang Qi: Is this guy nuts? I might as well be going through fire and water for my cousin.

Now let's talk about their second impressions, after getting to know each other.

Huo Wentao: The way she deludes herself is pretty entertaining.

Sang Qi: His two-faced act isn't bad either.

Sang Qi: So, is this a difference between men and women?

Huo Wentao laughed. "No. It's just the difference between you and me."

A sharp-tongued, tsundere bookstore owner + a university student who loves writing.

He said: The nagging of the older generation can sometimes take more years off your life than a blind date.

He said: Roses and diamonds are nothing but a marketing scam to brainwash women.

He said: If I didn't know you were fishing for gossip to use in your writing, I'd think you had fallen for me.

He said: If you aren't secretly in love with me, you'd better stop prying into my private life.

He said: You don't really believe there can be eternal love in this world, do you?

But love came slowly, like a gentle stream. When he realized he had fallen for her, everything he had scorned, from roses and diamond rings to eternal love, came back to slap him in the face.

In the end, resigned and helpless, he said: "Don't be naive. Love is going to go bad sooner or later... So marry me before it does. Let's turn love into duty and family affection, then take a gamble on whether I'm the kind of man whose conscience can keep him in line..."

Well, was there even any need to gamble?

Sang Qi couldn't help laughing. "That man who drove across half the city in the middle of the night to make sure I was safe. If that isn't him, who is?"

Reader: Why do they just keep talking?

Author: Because this is a love story about two people with completely different personalities gradually sparking something special as they spend their days together, talking about the little things in life.

The most romantic thing I can imagine is spending our days together talking about the little things in life.

Bonus scene:

Cousin: Why are you always hanging around the bookstore?

Sang Qi: So I can hear gossip and write about it.

Cousin: Why are you still working at the store during summer vacation?

Sang Qi: So I can dig up gossip about Boss Huo and write about it.

Cousin: And going to a hotel room with Boss Huo was for writing too???

Sang Qi: Don't get the wrong idea. I said I had no experience with that sort of thing, and he said he'd help me!

Huo Wentao: Y-you know what they say about digging yourself into a deeper hole, right?

Sang Qi: Fine, fine. We were just doing field research. We didn't do anything.

Coming soon: So, I Did Reach Out to You First. Give it a follow! Here's the blurb:

Qiao Zhiyan, who has a bit of a talent for writing, starts working at a well-known children's tutoring center after graduating from university.

Back in college, she had written a script for her drama club just for fun. To her surprise, the play became a huge hit, and the club president, Chen Qian, started treating her like a goddess, fussing over her and showering her with attention.

But now, as a newcomer to the workforce, Qiao Zhiyan is overwhelmed by her job. No matter how attentive the handsome Chen Qian is, all she can do is keep brushing him off.

When he pushed her too far, she even left him a message: "I'm swamped at Little Sun Tutoring Center! I really don't have time to write another script for you! Please leave me alone, or I'll have to block you and we'll never cross paths again!"

That finally got Chen Qian to quiet down for a few days.

But then, one day, a major figure showed up at the tutoring center: Zhang Jianing, a children's literature author! The center was hoping to work with this legendary writer, so the staff eagerly showed her around the campus.

And so, the prim and proper Zhang Jianing ran into Qiao Zhiyan, who was carrying a huge stack of documents, in the hallway.

The branch director waved dismissively at the disheveled Qiao Zhiyan, telling her to get out of the way. But Zhang Jianing's eyes lit up. In an instant, she went from famous author Zhang to Auntie Zhang.

"Xiao Qiao, what a coincidence!"

Qiao Zhiyan stared. "Auntie, what are you doing here?"

Qiao Zhiyan had never imagined that Chen Qian's mother, whom she had met a few times before, was such a big name!

As the branch director looked on in astonishment, Auntie Zhang warmly took her hand. "Xiao Qiao, I heard you've been so busy with work that you haven't paid any attention to my good-for-nothing son in ages. Ah Qian has been sighing all the time lately."

Qiao Zhiyan's cheeks flushed. Under the branch director's searchlight stare, she hunched her shoulders. "I-I... I've just been a little busy lately."

"Busy with what? I heard you were so busy you were about to cut ties with my son." Auntie Zhang looked like a worried mother.

This time, it was the branch director, who dumped every odd job on the new hires, who hunched his shoulders.

"Anyway, send Ah Qian a message when you have time." Auntie Zhang smiled kindly.

"Of course, of course," Qiao Zhiyan replied nervously.

Then Auntie Zhang turned back into the famous author, politely saying she had to leave and they could discuss the partnership another time. The branch director looked at Qiao Zhiyan like he was about to breathe fire.

Branch director: "Hurry up and reply to him!"

Qiao Zhiyan: "Yes, sir!"

Ten minutes later, Chen Qian grinned as if his scheme had worked. "Qiao, I finally got a message from you."

Qiao Zhiyan replied with an awkward smile: "Oh, come on, don't make a big deal out of it. I did reach out to you first, didn't I?"

Looks like she'll have plenty more days of "reaching out" to him first.

Theme: Cherish life